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| Photo Credit: AP. |
The gunman who was killed after attempting to enter an FBI office in Cincinnati, Ohio took part in the January 6, 2021 riot at U.S. Capitol Hill.
Who was the gunman who tired to enter FBI building?
Ricky Walter
Shiffer was at the Capitol as part of former President Donald Trump’s plan to
overturn the 2020 election victory of President Joe Biden, sources told CNN.
Social media accounts that appear to have belonged to Shiffer were deleted on
Thursday, according to Washington Examiner. The accounts contain posts about
saving ammunition and expressing a desire to harm the FBI.
Shiffer was
seen in photos taken the day of the Capitol riot, law enforcement officials
told NBC News.
Gunman who breached FBI building posting on Truth Social after attempts
Shiffer
posted on social media platforms such as Truth Social and Twitter, according to
Washington Examiner. The last post on his Truth Social account appears to have
been sent after the attempted breach of the FBI building.
"Well,
I thought I had a way through bullet proof glass, and I didn't. If you don't
hear from me, it is true I tried attacking the F.B.I., and it'll mean either I
was taken off the internet, the F.B.I. got me, or they sent the regular cops
while," the post said, Washington Examiner reported.
The Truth
Social account which has since been deleted had a bio that read: “I am a construction
electrician in Columbus. I have had accounts blocked, locked, or deleted by
ThemTube, Twitter, and, believe it or not, Rumble. On the fifth I tried to
explain to Epps that it would only make sense to go into the building if they
approved the fraudulent votes. (He of course went back to yelling 'we have to
go IN to to the Capitol.'. I, unfortunately wrote him off as a dumbass.),"
according to Washington Examiner.
Did gunman who attacked FBI building have links with Proud Boys?
A Twitter account
linked to Shiffer has since been suspended contains posts where he spoke of
violence against the FBI and collecting ammunition, according to screenshots
taken by the Washington Examiner. Posts also contained reference to the American
Revolution and showed his interest in getting in touch with the far-right Proud
Boys group.
The attack
on the FBI office is coming days after agents entered the Mar-a-Lago estate as
part of an investigation into whether Mr. Trump took classified documents to
his Florida residence.
FBI agents under threat
FBI agents
and offices have become targets of threats following the FBI raid at Trump’s
home. Users on Gab, a social media site popular with white supremacists and
anti-Semites warned they are preparing for an armed revolution, according to
The Associated Press.
On Thursday
Attorney General Merrick Garland delivered a statement to reporters about the
raid and announced that the Justice Department requested permission from a
federal court to unseal the court-approved search warrant that authorized the
bureau’s search of Trump’s Florida home.
Garland said
he could not "stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked.
The men and women of the FBI and the Justice Department are dedicated,
patriotic public servants," according to Washington Examiner.
FBI Director
Christopher Wray released a statement Thursday condemning smears, threats, and violence
against law enforcement, including those against the bureau, Washington
Examiner reported.
"Unfounded
attacks on the integrity of the FBI erode respect for the rule of law and are a
grave disservice to the men and women who sacrifice so much to protect
others," Wray said. "Violence and threats against law enforcement, including
the FBI, are dangerous and should be deeply concerning to all Americans. Every
day I see the men and women of the FBI doing their jobs professionally and with
rigor, objectivity, and a fierce commitment to our mission of protecting the
American people and upholding the Constitution. I am proud to serve alongside
them."